Device for producing an electrical plug-in connection between electrical or electronic components or sub-assemblies

ABSTRACT

This invention concerns a device for producing an electrical plug-in connection between electrical or electronic components or sub-assemblies by means of the opening in a wall within a motor vehicle door. The wall defines a partition between a wet cell and a dry cell wherein the component part or subassembly is mechanically fixed in the wet cell by a housing of a component part holder and wherein a part of the holder forms an electrical plug-in connector that engages through a duct opening in the wall and seals the duct opening against dampness. To that effect, the components or sub-assemblies can be mechanically secured by at least one component bracket in the vehicle door. According to the invention, at least one part of the component brackets of at least one of the components or sub-assemblies to be connected electrically is designed as an electrical plug-in connector which passes through the opening of the wall. The invention provides a connecting device which has a duct through a wall and is economical and easy to mount and service and at the same time has a long life.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a device for producing an electrical plug-inconnection between electrical or electronic component parts orsub-assemblies.

From DE 32 39 370 C2 a vehicle door is known having an outer door panelwhich has a support frame with a recess for a window pane. An assemblysupport holds the door fittings such as window pane, window raisermechanism and door lock and is made separately from the outer doorpanel, is assembled together and fitted on the outer door panel. Aninner door trim forms the closure between the vehicle door and interiorof the vehicle and is connected to the assembly support or to the outerdoor panel.

From DE 35 29 660 C2 a vehicle door is known having an outer door panel,a door frame and an inner door panel which has several cut-out sectionswhich are covered by a support plate. The support plate is provided witha cable tree which has several branches which are fixed by connectorssuch as adhesive tapes to the support plate and have at their endsconnecting plugs which can be connected to the different electricalfittings of the door such as window raiser motor, door lock, openingswitch for the boot, etc.

From U.S. Pat. No. 4,794,735 a modular vehicle door is known which iscomprised of an outer door skin, a door module with a door frame and aside impact protection as well as an inner trim. A drive unit for awindow raiser as well as a door lock mechanism are mounted on the sideimpact protection. A cable tree is connected to the door module andguided through the connecting side of the vehicle door and in turn isprovided with plug-in connections which are connected to the electricaldevice.

DE A 38 04 086 A1 describes a cable tree assembly in a protective leadhousing with openings for passing through electrical plugs and which ismounted by screws on the inner trim of vehicle doors.

DE-A 38 04 086 A1 describes a cable tree assembly in a protective leadhousing with openings for passing through electrical plugs and which ismounted by screws on the inner trim of vehicle doors. The plugs arethereby mounted displaceable through resilient bearing arms in theopenings of the housing in order to compensate for any inaccuracies inthe position between the component parts fixed in the inside wall of thedoor and the plugs.

DE 35 30 413 A describes a component kit for laying electric leadswherein the electrical contacting of the plug-in parts is producedthrough a shape-stable support part in which full-length plug parts inthe form of conducting pins are formed. A shaped or cover part is fittedonto this support part in order to line the electrical plug parts fromthe interior.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,800,648 describes a device wherein the electrical leadsprovided with the plugs of the electrical components mounted in avehicle door frame are guided out from openings in the inner door panelup to level with the inner trim. Between the inner trim and the innerdoor panel is a cable tree with plugs which are likewise extended out upto the level of the inner trim and lie next to the plugs of thecomponents. The relevant components are connected by bridges through thecable tree to the corresponding switches or power supply leads.

From EP 0 534 659 A2 an arrangement of several cable trees in a vehicledoor is known wherein the components mounted inside a door frame arefitted completely with the cables of the cable tree prior to fitting theinner trim. The switches on the inner trim are likewise connected to acable tree wherein the cable trees each open into a multipoint plug andthese are brought into contact with each other when assembling the doorframe and inner trim.

By attaching flexible extruded sealing profiles between the assemblysupport or support plate and the inner door panel or by covering thevarious types of openings on the inside of a vehicle door by means of alarge-surface watertight foil the inside of the vehicle door is dividedinto a wet cell lying between the outer door panel and the supportplate, assembly support or the like as well as where applicable thewatertight foil, and a dry cell of the vehicle door lying between theassembly support or support plate and the inner door trim. Throughsuitable sealing measures in the area of the support plate, assemblysupport or the like, moisture is prevented from penetrating into the drycell and thus to the space adjoining the inner door trim.

Various vehicle door component parts are mounted on the wet cell side ofthe assembly support or support plate and the electrical connection withthese component parts is produced by means of a cable tree which isguided through an opening from the dry cell into the wet cell andproduces an electrical connection there with the relevant component partby means of a wet cell plug-in connection. By way of example electricallocks are fixed with and without integrated electronics as well as withand without control logics on the wet cell side of the assembly supportor the support plate or on the inner door plate and are connected bymeans of a wet cell plug-in connection on the lock to a cable tree whichis guided from the dry cell to the wet cell through an opening in theassembly support or support plate or cover foil.

This type of electrical connection between an electric lock and a cabletree requires a cable guide and the arrangement of a plug-in connectionin the wet cell so that additional sealing measures are required on thelock, on the plug-in connection and on the duct for the cable tree fromthe dry to the wet cell.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to develop a connecting devicebetween electrical and/or electronic component parts or sub-assemblieswhich has a duct through a wall and which compared to known technicalsolutions is more cost-effective, more assembly-friendly and moreservice-friendly and which at the same time has a long service life.

By designing according to the invention the component part holder of atleast one of the component parts or sub-assemblies to be connected as anelectrical plug connector which engages through the opening in therelevant wall, an optimum position is produced to create the connectionbetween the electrical or electronic component part of a vehicle doorand an electrical or electronic vehicle unit. With this arrangement acable tree can be guided solely in the dry cell of the vehicle door andthe plug-in connection can be made with the electrical or electroniccomponent part in the dry cell.

Thus no cable tree seal is required at the interface between the wet anddry cells and additional individual branch seals for the plug-inconnection can be omitted. By bringing together various electricalconnections in the cable tree of the electrical or electronic componentpart it is possible to reduce the number of interfaces in the wet celland thus to improve the quality of the connections. Furthermore thespecial arrangement of the interface makes it possible to connect anelectrical or electronic component part mounted in the wet cell withmoisture-sensitive component elements which are mounted in componentpart units in the dry cell of the vehicle door.

It can also be proposed that the electronics for the electrical orelectronic component part is integrated in same. By way of example thecontrol electronics of an electrical or electronic lock is cast in theform of a chip into the electrical or electronic lock.

The solution according to the invention makes it possible to bringtogether the various electrical connections for the control, regulatingand sensor functions into one plug-in connection and to provide thespatial position for the plug-in connection at a favorable spot in theinside of the door, more particularly at the transition between wet celland dry cell of the vehicle door. Several individual cable connectionswhich in the case of a plug-in connection in the wet cell of the vehicledoor have to be sealed individually are thereby unnecessary and, inaddition to a connection with a cable tree which combines severalelectrical leads, a plug-in connection can also be provided with anelectronics module so that by way of example the relevant door componentis mounted in the wet cell of the vehicle door while the control andregulating electronics is provided on the dry cell side of the vehicledoor.

An advantageous development of the solution according to the inventionconsists accordingly in mounting the component part holder at theinterface between the wet cell and dry cell of the vehicle door. Thewall through whose opening is passed the component part holder which isformed as the electrical plug-in connection, then represents thepartition between the wet cell and dry cell of the vehicle door.

The component part holder and the electrical or electronic componentpart preferably have a common housing, i.e., the component part holderbecomes an integral constituent part of the electrical or electroniccomponent part.

The access through the wall is sealed against dampness in anadvantageous design of the invention so that a reliable separation isproduced between the wet and dry cells.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the component part holder orplug-in connector projects through the wall in the direction of the drycell and closes the opening sealed against dampness. In this way a cabletree can be connected in an assembly-friendly manner to the componentpart holder or plug-in connector in the dry cell.

The component part holder can be directly fixed by a suitable fasteningdevice on a fastening part of the vehicle door, more particularly theinner door panel, a device covering the cut-out section of the innerdoor panel or a door base part or assembly support. An advantageousmethod of fastening lies in the fitting of clip elements on thecomponent part holder so that this can be fixedly connected togetherwith the electrical or electronic component part to the fastening partof the vehicle door after passing the component part holder through anopening in the fastening part of the door which matches thecross-section of the component part holder.

In order to seal the connection of the component part holder with thefastening element of the vehicle door it is possible to provide anadditional seal in the area of the duct so that the component partholder sealing adjoins the fastening part of the vehicle door with theelectrical or electronic component part.

If the duct and/or the housing part of the component part holder mountedin the duct is formed conical then an additional seal is no longerrequired between the component part holder or electrical or electroniccomponent part and the fastening part.

By injection molding the leads mounted in the component part holder intothe component part holder an electrically and mechanically securearrangement of the individual leads of the cable tree integrated in thecomponent part holder is fully guaranteed.

Preferably the device according to the invention is used for connectingan electrical or electronic door lock, an electric drive unit for awindow raiser or a mirror adjustment device to a cable tree or anelectrical or electronic device.

In an advantageous design of the invention the lead guide area of thecomponent part holder or electrical plug-in connector is flexiblydesigned so that manufacturing and measuring tolerances can becompensated. To this end the lead guide area is preferably formed in aninjection part as an expansion and/or compression curve.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The idea on which the invention is based will now be explained infurther detail with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawings andrelating in particular to an electric or electronic lock as theelectrical or electronic component part. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a vehicle door;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic sectional view through an electric orelectronic lock with integral lock holder;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view through the contact area of a lock holderwith a seal between the lock holder and a fastening part of the vehicledoor;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view through the contact area of a lock holderwith conical housing which is mounted in a conical duct and is connectedby clip connection to a fastening part of the vehicle door; and

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic sectional view through an electric orelectronic lock with integral lock holder wherein the lead guide area isformed flexible.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The exploded view shown in FIG. 1 of a vehicle door shows an outer doorpanel 1 with a window pane guided in a support frame as well as hingesfor attaching the vehicle door to a vehicle frame. The outer door panel1 changes into an inner door panel 2 which has a cut-out section 20which is covered by means of a plate or foil 3 or a support plate or anassembly support 4.

A door lock 80 with which the vehicle door can be locked relative to thevehicle frame is mounted on the inner door panel 2 or on the connectingside between the inner door panel 2 and outer door panel 1. The doorlock 80 has a fastening part 81 which is fixed on the inner door panel 2and through which the door lock 80 is mechanically fixed in the vehicledoor. An electrical plug-in connector 810 projects out of the fasteningpart 81 so that a tight-fitting plug-in connection can be fitted thereas will be explained in further detail below.

As an alternative to the arrangement of the fastening part 81 on theinner door panel 2, the fastening part 81 is formed on the assemblysupport or door base part 4 which additionally supports furthercomponent elements such as for example a window raiser 10 and the like.The door lock 80 thereby projects over the assembly support or the doorbase part 4. A plug-in connector 810 projects in turn through thefastening part 81.

The window raiser 10 is an electrically operated window raiser which isdriven by an electrical drive unit 19. A plug-in connector 190 projectsout of the assembly support or door base part 4 supporting the driveunit 19 and a plug-in connection of, for example, a cable tree can beconnected thereto.

An electrical mirror adjuster 17 for adjusting the outside wing mirror,shown diagrammatically, is mounted on the window triangle. A plug-inconnection can be attached to a plug connector 170 projecting out of theassociated fastening part.

The vehicle door is closed from the inner door space by an inner doortrim 5 which has an arm rest, window crank, door locking mechanism andwhere applicable operating elements for further functioning parts of thevehicle door.

The space between the outer door panel 1 and the inner door panel 2 orthe cover foil or plate 3 or door base part or assembly support 4 isdefined as a wet cell of the follow cavity of the door while the areabetween the over plate or foil 3 or between the door base part orassembly support 4 and inner door trim 5 is defined as dry cell.

The electrical plug-in connection between the different component partsof the door mounted in the hollow cavity of the door and a central powersupply and control device is produced through individual cableconnections which are laid, for example, in grooves of the assemblysupport 4 and are connected to the individual component parts of thedoor by means of electrical plug contacts. Alternatively cable trees 6can also be guided with correspondingly combined plug-in connections 7a,7b, 7c, to different component parts of the door. By way of example thecable tree 6 having plug-in connections 7a, 7b, 7c illustrated in FIG. 1is guided with the plug connection 7a to the electric or electronic lock80 which is fixed on the inner door panel 2 or the door base part orassembly support 4 and which can be designed selectively with or withoutintegrated electronics as well as with or without logics.

The plug-in connections 7b, 7c are guided correspondingly to the furtherelectrical or electronic component parts inside the vehicle door, namelyto the electric drive unit 19 for the window lifter as well as to themirror adjustment device 17.

All the plug-in connections 7a, 7b, 7c are connectable with the plugconnectors 810, 190, 170 projecting out of the relevant fastening parts.

Through a special embodiment of the electric or electronic componentpart 80, 19, 17, as well as by moving a part of the cable tree into theelectrical or electronic component part 80, 19, 17, a design is producedwhich allows the cable guide and plug-in connection to be providedsolely in the dry area of the vehicle door while the electrical orelectronic component part 80, 19, 17 itself is mounted in the wet cellof the vehicle door.

The following FIGS. 2 to 5 relate to the special design of theelectrical or electronic component part as a door lock. However, theelectric drive unit 19, as well as the mirror adjustment device 17, aredesigned in a corresponding way and connected to plug-in connections 7b,7c.

FIG. 2 shows a cross-section through an electric or electronic lock 8having several sub-assembly components 11 mounted therein such as, forexample, switch elements or electric motors and a lock holder 9 which isformed as an integral constituent part of the electric or electroniclock 8 and is pushed through an opening 30, 40 of the cover plate orfoil 3 connected to the inner door panel 2 or to the assembly support ordoor base part 4 so that a part of the lock holder 9 projects throughthe relevant fastening part 2, 3, 4 of the vehicle door.

The preferably cast or injected leads to the individual componentelements 11 of the electric or electronic lock 8 are brought togetherinto one lead guide area 12 and form an integral constituent part of thelock holder 9. The lead guide area 12 can be formed by punched parts, byleads stuck or printed thereon or by flexible leads. The part 810 of thelock holder 9 projecting through the fastening element 3, 4 of thevehicle door is connectable to a plug 7 of a cable tree 6 and serves forthe socket connection of an electrical or electronic component part.

With the arrangement shown in FIG. 2, of the electronic lock 8 and lockholder 9 in the wet cell 16 of the vehicle door, as well as thearrangement of the plug-in connection between the plug 7 and plughousing part 810 of the lock holder 9, the contacting area between thecable tree 6 or an electrical or electronic component unit (not shown infurther detail) is located in the transition area between the dry cell18 and the wet cell 16 of the vehicle door and is enclosed by a housingof the lock holder 9 protected against dampness. The plug-in connectionitself and the cable tree 6 or the electrical or electronic componentpart are however located solely in the dry cell 18 of the vehicle doorso that special dampness protecting means are not required.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show various embodiments of the lock holder 9 and the duct30, 40 in the fastening part 2, 3 4 of the vehicle door.

FIG. 3 shows a cross-section through a lock holder 9 with a cylindricalhousing shape 90 in the transition area in which the supply leads whichhave been combined into a cable tree 11 are preferably cast and lead toa plug-in connection 13 which is mounted in the area of the cylindricalhousing opening of the lock support 9.

Clip elements 14 are mounted on the outside of the housing part 90 ofthe projecting part 810' of the lock support 9 and, after passing thecylindrical housing part 90 of the lock support 9 through the opening30, 40 in the fastening part 2, 3, 4 of the vehicle door, adjoin the drycell side of the fastening part 2, 3, 4 to secure the lock holder 9 inposition on the fastening part 2, 3, 4.

The through area is sealed by a seal 15 which is mounted between thehousing 90 of the lock holder 9 and the wet cell side of the fasteningpart 2, 3, 4 in the vehicle door and prevents moisture from penetratinginto the dry cell of the vehicle door.

FIG. 4 shows another form of housing for the lock holder 9 which avoidsthe need for an additional seal. In this embodiment the lock holder 9has in the transition area a conical housing shape 91 which adjoins withkeyed engagement the conical through bore 30, 40 of the fastening part2, 3, 4 of the vehicle door.

Also in this embodiment the lock holder 9 is fixed on the fastening part2, 3, 4 by clip elements 14. The plug-in connection 13 is locateddirectly in the transition area between the wet cell and dry cell of thevehicle door and serves to hold a plug 7 which is mounted at the end ofa cable tree 6 or is connected to an electrical or electronic componentpart so that the electric or electronic lock 8 having the functionelements cast therein is mounted in the wet cell while the connectingarea from the wet cell projects into the dry cell and the plug 7contacts the part 810" of the lock holder 9 which projects through thefastening part 2, 3, 4 on the dry cell side of the vehicle door.

Thus a separate cable tree seal (cover) at the interface between the wetand dry cells is no longer required. As an alternative to the connectionwith a cable tree the lock electronics can be fitted in the dry cell forexample within the framework of a multiplex binding.

FIG. 5 shows an electric or electronic lock 8 with integral lock holder9 according to FIG. 2 wherein the lead guide area is however flexible.To this end the lead guide area is formed in an injection molded part asflexible expansion and/or compression curves 20. Manufacturing andassembly tolerances which occur can be compensated by suitable expansionor compression of the curves 20.

The advantages which can be achieved with the invention by moving theinterface and holding area of a part of the cable tree into thefastening area of the electrical or electronic component part are alsosuitable for those types of inside door space where door panels are usedwhich do not separate the wet cell completely from the dry cell.

What is claimed is:
 1. A device for producing an electrical plug-in connection in a vehicle door, comprising:an electrical or electronic component part or subassembly; a fastening part having a wall with a duct opening, wherein the fastening part forms a partition between a wet cell and a dry cell of the vehicle door; a component part holder which mechanically fixes the component part or subassembly in the vehicle door; an electrical plug-in connector which engages through the duct opening in the wall of the fastening part in the direction of the dry cell, the electrical plug-in connector having electrical leads, wherein the component part holder is mounted on the fastening part; wherein the component part holder has a housing mounted in the wet cell and contains the component part or subassembly as well as the electrical leads to the plug-in connector; wherein a part of the component part holder is formed as the plug-in connector; and wherein the plug-in connector closes the duct opening sealed against dampness.
 2. A device according to claim 1 wherein the component part holder has a plurality of clip elements mounted on an end side of the component part holder, the clip elements being fixed on the fastening part after pushing the holder through the duct opening in the fastening part wherein the duct opening matches the cross-section of the component part holder.
 3. A device according to claim 1 comprising a seal between the component part holder and the fastening part of the vehicle door which seals the duct opening in the fastening part.
 4. A device according to claim 1 wherein the electrical leads are mounted in the component part holder and are formed as a cable tree.
 5. A device according to claim 1 wherein the electric leads mounted in the holder are injection molded.
 6. A device according to claim 1 further comprising additional component parts or sub-assemblies and a cable tree connecting the component parts or sub-assemblies to the electrical or electronic component part of the vehicle door, or of a further electrical or electronic component part.
 7. A device according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the duct opening or the housing of the component holder mounted in the duct opening has a conical shape.
 8. A device according to claim 1 wherein the electrical or electronic component part comprises at least one of an electric or electronic lock, an electric drive unit for a window raiser a mirror adjustment device.
 9. A device according to claim 1 wherein the electrical plug-in connector comprises a lead guide area, the lead guide area being formed flexible so that manufacturing and measuring tolerances can be compensated.
 10. A device according to claim 9 wherein the lead guide area is formed in an injection molded part having at least one curve.
 11. A device according to claim 1 wherein the component part or sub-assembly is injection molded.
 12. A device according to claim 1 wherein the fastening part comprises one of an inner door panel, a support plate, a door base part or an assembly support. 